Coin-controlled mechanism



March 1931- c. K. STAMAS COIN CQNTHOLLED MECHANISM OriginalFiled June 16, 1927 Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED STATES CHRIST K. STAMAS, F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA COIN-CONTROLLED MECHANISM Application filed. June 16, 1927, Serial No. 199,198. Renewed August 27, 1930.

This invention relates to coin controlled mechanisms, and has for one object to provide such a mechanism adapted for use upon vending machines employing a rotary shaft is or drum for the delivery of the vended article, such as is described in my co-pending application, No. 197,527, filed June 9, 1927,

for a cigarette vending machine.

Another object is to provide a gaging means in connection with such a mechanism for selectively determining the size of coin for controlling said mechanism.

Another object is to provide means for rejecting from the machine coins of other than the pro-determined size.

Another object is to provide such a mechanism which shall be simple in construction, positive in operation, and inexpensive in manufacture.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and more particularly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Wherem,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal view taken on a plane parallel to the side of the casing, as along the line 11 of Figure 2, and showing the coin controlled mechanism in side elevation, the cover therefore being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view along the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of Figure 1, showing the mechanism unlocked by a coin inserted therein.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 23, but showing the fixed cam of the mechanism in connection therewith, the other parts being removed.

Figure 5 is a rear view of the locking disc.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary edge view of the coin receiving elements or discs in connection with the fixed cam, showingthe coin in the act of being discharged from between the coin receiving elements or discs.

Fi ure 7 is a detail of the spring set detent-lever.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I show a backplate 10, and a hous- 27 journaled in the bracket-arm 13 and having 11 removably mountedon the backplate as by oppositely disposed lugs 12 engaging a bracket-arm 13 diametrically disposed on the back-plate 10 and extending outwardly therefrom. The housing may be removed by 5 rotating in a counter-clockwise direction, which movement is normally prevented by a bolt 14 of a lock 15 engaging a lug 16 1nounted on the housing. A fixed cam-plate 17 is mounted on the back-plate 10, and has journaled therein a shaft 18, forming the operating means for the vending machine (not shown). Mounted on the cam-plate 17 is a coin chute19, placed in alignment with the coin aperture 20 formed through the housing 11 at the upper part thereof. A coin b01121 is mounted in the lower interior part of the housing 11.

The shaft 18 extends substantially into the interior of the housing 11, and has mounted thereon a pair of coin receiving elements or discs 22, 23, of which the element 22 forms also a locking disc, and is keyed to the shaft 18, While the element 23 forms an operating disc and is journaled on the shaft 18, n and has a gear 24 secured to its outer face as by pins 25. The said gear is free to rotate with the element 23 and engages a pinion 26 mounted on a manually operable shaft ing a knob 28 at its outer extremity. Collars 29 are mounted on the shaft 18 for bold ing the various parts in their proper positions. The element 22, or locking disc, has a plurality of slots 30 in its periphery, four being shown in the embodiment illustrated. The said slots 30 engage a movable detent 81 mounted on a spring set detent lever 32 pivoted on the cam-plate 17 or any other suitable portion of the back-plate structure; the detent-lever 32, in the embodiment shown, is for convenience made L-shaped and a spring 83 has one end mounted on the bracket-arm 13 or other suitable portion of the back-plate structure, and the other end of the spring is secured to the lower leg of the detent-lever 32.

The coin receiving elements 22, 23, have complementary. recesses 34 formed on their opposing faces, to-wit, the front face of the locking disc 22 and the rear face of the opare alined with the casing aperture20. of the.

coin chute 19.

A coin engaging-plunger 38; is: passed through the locking disc or element 22 and extends into the recess 34. thereof, but not into the complementary recessof the operating disc or element 23', there being one of these plungers for each recess, positioned substantially at the junctureof the circumferentially extending coin. supporting face 36 and the tangentially extending coin discharging face 37. Each of the said plungers is mount ed on one end of a flat spring 39 positioned J circumferentially.on the rear side of the lock. ing disc or element 22, the other end of the spring being secured'to the locking disc as shown at 40,

Normally, the springs 39 act toprevent the plungers 38.. from extending into the recess 34 of the locking disc 22. The working face of the: cam-plate. 17 extends concentrically partly about the shaft 18, and engagesthe springs 39 in order to cause the. plunger 38 to extend into the said recesses 34 at selected intervals, as the locking disc 22' is rotated. That edge of the cam-plate thatrfaces an approaching plunger 38 is beveledas shown at.

41, in order to prevent too abruptunovement of the plunger and spring. A portion 42 of the working-face of the cam-plate is .separated therefrom, and mounted on. the-lower.- leg of-the detent-lever 32, in order that'ad-- justments of the: length of the working face of the cammay be readily'made by simply.

removing the detent-lever from theassembly.

A gaging linger 43 is mounted on the detent 31 and extends over and in .alinement with the coin receiving recesses 34 of the coin receiving elements 22, 23. A portion of the coin chute 19, adjacent to the detent 31, is cut; away so as to provide a stop 44 to limit the amplitude of movement of the detent 31; The depth of the gagingfinger 43 selectively d'etermines the size of the coin corresponding to the said amplitude of movement ofthe detent3l, and the distance.thedetentf31 extends into the slot -is adjusted so'thatflthe detent will disengage the locking disc 22 at the completion of'said movement.

On: the operating disc 23, each radially extending arcuatecoin engagingface is e2:-

tended slightly-beyond theperiphery of the said disc in order to provide apfirm, engagesaid recesses 34, being supported onthe coin supporting face 36 thereof. The operating dise23 is now manually operated as by grasping the knob 28 so as to rotate the pinion 26 andgear 24, whereupon the coin engaging face 35. thereofengages the coin and forces the same into engagement with the plunger 38,- whichis nowextending into. the recess 34 by reason of the spring 39 engaging the workface. of the fixed cam--17, thereby-firmly engaging the said coin between the said'face35 and the. said plunger138.- At the same; time, the coin has engaged the; gaging finger 43. so astolift the detent31 out of engagement with the slot 30, thereby permitting thelrOta: tion ofthe lockingdisc22-and also the: shaft 18, so as to operate any attached vending mach-ine.- Upon completion of the: desired movement, the parts assume they relation; shown in Figure 6,. wherein is shown how. the. spring 39 is disengaged-from thelcani 17', andv the plunger 38. withdrawn from the recess34, so that the coin;.45.-is free to; drop vout 0f;th1e.- recess 34 into the coin box21. The-disposi-Q tion; of theparts'issuch that-the plunger'38 remains in engagement with the coin45 just long enough to bringthe detent 31 into-posi tion to engage the next succeedingslot 30 in the locking disc 22,-whereupon-the disc 22 and shaft 18 are lockedagainstgfurther movement until the-insertion of another coin. 1

If the coin: 45 is smaller than the size de signed to operate theidevice, thedetent 31 will. not be lifted far enough to be disengagedfrom the slot 30, thus preventingthe. operation of the mechanism, while if the coinis. larger than the. required size, the detent 31 will be disengaged from theslot13O but=the coin. itself will not pass ,under the gaging finger by reason of the limited movement thereof, thus also preventing the operation'of the mechanism. In either caseybyreversing operating disc, and he returnedrtothe operator through the coin chute 19.,

Whilelhave herein. described ace-rtainw' specific method of constructingand asse1nbling the elements of my invention, it is understood same may be: varied in minondetails, not departing-from the spirit-10f" my invention as defined inthe appended; claims.

I claim :7

1.: In a coinzcontrolled mechanism, inde- .pendently rota-table e0-operatively positioned said element after a. predetermined. ampli- 2 till tude of movement, a fixed stop co-operating with said detent for limiting the movement thereof, gaging means 011 said detent for engaging a coin positioned between said elements, said gaging means being adapted to selectively determine the size of coin corresponding to said amplitude of movement and co-operating with said coin for causing said movement, means for manually rotating one of said elements independently of the other, and means 011 said manually rotatable member for discharging from said elements coins rejected by said gaging means.

2. In a coin controlled mechanism, independently rotatable co-operatively positioned coin receiving elements, one of said elements being normally locked against movement, and the other of said elements being continuously rotatable, a movable look ing detent releasably engaging said first mentioned element, said detent being adapted to he disengaged from said element after a predetermined amplitude of movement, a fixed stop co-operating with said detent for limiting the movement thereof, gaging means on said detent for engaging a coin positioned between said elements, said gaging means being adapted to selectively determine the size of coin corresponding to said amplitude of movement and co-operating with said coin for causing said movement, said first mentioned element also having mounted thereon a spring set plunger releasably engaging said coin, said second mentioned element having means co-operating with said plunger for engaging said coin thereinbetween, means for manually rotating said second mentioned ele ment, and means on said second mentioned element for discharging from between said elements coins rejected by said gaging means.

3. In a coin controlled mechanism, a rotatable shaft, a cam rigidly mounted on the shaft, a locking disc rigidly mounted on the shaft, an operating disc journaled on the shaft and spaced from the locking disc, said discs having complementary coin receiving recesses on their opposing faces, a spring-set detent releasably engaging the locking disc and adapted to be disengaged therefrom by a coin of predetermined diameter placed in said coin receiving recesses, means associated with said detent for obstructing the movement of diametrically over-size coins thereunder, means 011 said locking disc for discharging improper coins from said recesses, a spring-set plunger slidably passed through said locking disc and operable by said cam, a manually operable means for rotating said operating disc.

l. In a coined controlled mechanism, cooperatively positioned coin receiving elements, a detent releasably engaging one of said elements and adapted to be disengaged therefrom by a coin of a predetermined diameter positioned between said elements, a

coingaging means for obstructing the movement of a diametrically over-size coin, means on said coin receiving elements for discharging coins of the wrong diameter, and means mounted on one of said elements for releasably engaging a coin.

5. In a coin controlled mechanism, a rotatable shaft, a coin receiving element keyed to the shaft, a complementary, manually operable coin receiving element j ournalled on the shaft, a detent preventing the rotation of said first named coin receiving element eX- cept upon its engagement with a coin exceeding a predetermined diameter, a coin gaging means for obstructing a coin exceeding the predetermined diameter, and means on said manually operable coin receiving element for rejecting a coin of the Wrong diameter.

6. In a coin controlled mechanism, a rotatable shaft, a locking disc mounted on the shaft, an operating disc journaled on the shaft in spaced relation to the locking disc, said discs having complementary coin receiving recesses on their opposing faces, a detent releasably engaging the locking disc and adapted to be disengaged therefrom by a coin of predetermined diameter placed in said coin receiving recesses, means associated With said detent for obstructing a coin exceeding said predetermined diameter, means on the operating disc for rejecting a coin not of the said predetermined diameter, a fixed cam, means operable by said cam through the locking disc into the recesses thereof, and means for rotating the operating disc.

7. In a device of the kind described, complementary coin receiving discs having coin receiving recesses in their opposing faces, means for rotating one of the discs relative to the other, coin operable means for rotating said disc's together in one direction, means preventing said rotation except on deposit of the coin of pretermined diameter, and means on one of said-discs for discharging a coin not of the said predetermined diameter by a reverse movement of one of the discs relative to the other.

8. In a device of the kind described, complementary coin receiving discs having a plurality of registering coin receiving recesses in their opposing faces, means for rotating one of the discs relative to the other, means normally locking the last referred to disc in coin receptive position, each of the recesses in said first disc being adapted for registration with one of the coin receiving recesses in said second disc for deposit of a coin of predetermined diameter thereinbetween, said coin being movable in said registering recesses for engagement with said locking means for unlocking the same, said discs having means associated with said recesses for cooperating with said coin to lock the discs together for rotation of the second disc by the first disc, means associated with said locking means for the obstruction of a c'oi n exceedingthe said predetermined diameter, and means on said first-disc for rejecting acoin 'not of said pre determinedcliameter from said registering recesses on the retrograde movement of said first disc. v

In testimony whereof I affix-m'y signature.

CHRIST K. STAMAS. 

